Anything and Everything
by Universal Lord Genghis Khan
Summary: When the Phoenix Wright characters are together, shenanigans will always ensue. Join Phoenix, Apollo and many other characters throughout this series of short stories to see what goes on when our favorite attorneys are out of the courtroom. There will be pranks, crazy adventures and much more, so welcome to the Wright Anything Agency where Anything and Everything can truly happen.
1. A Walk In the Park

Hello readers! I am Universal Lord Genghis Khan, but you guys can just call me Brandon. The name is an inside joke from our World History AP Class and if you want to hear the full and somewhat long story, PM me about it. That being said, I am an admirer of Fanfiction but have never written one until now. I am always looking to refine and improve my writing so any reviews would be awesome! This will be a collection of stories surrounding the characters of the Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney series and THERE IS A CHANCE OF DUAL DESTINIES SPOILERS as all stories are set post- AA5. So if you don't want spoilers, don't read ahead. With all that out of the way, please enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything! All characters, places, etc. are property of Capcom.

Ch 1: A Walk In the Park

In the morning, The Wright Anything Agency is extremely abnormal when compared to other homes. On the weekends, many other homes get to wake on their own time but this is never the case about the Wright Anything Agency. Every day at 6:00 AM sharp, a young attorney by the name of Apollo Justice wakes up and begins his daily Chords of Steel exercises. These exercises are so loud that they wake everyone else in the Agency: the veteran attorney Phoenix Wright, his adopted daughter Trucy, and the newcomer attorney Athena Cykes. Normally, they pay no mind to Apollo's loud yelling, but today Athena had just about reached her limit.

Athena climbed out of her bed and slipped on her usual attire of a yellow suit and skirt with a white blouse. After adjusting her tie and placing Widget around her neck, she walked out and began down the hall to give Apollo a piece of her mind. As she walked, she could hear Trucy and Phoenix groaning about how it was the weekend and that it was too early to do anything. She found Apollo's door and flung it open with an expression of serious anger on her face.

Just after Apollo finished his Chords of Steel workout, he realized that something was very, very wrong. He turned his head upon hearing a loud sound and saw Athena. Apollo, not knowing why Athena was so angry, simply said "Good morning".

"Yeah, a great morning indeed. Being woken up at 6 AM ON A SATURDAY is just how I wanted to start my day" responded Athena. "

"Sorry, but you know I HAVE to do my Chords of Steel or else my voice gets soft", replied Apollo in a somewhat whiny tone.

"Really, because sometimes your voice gets very raspy and it's hard to understand," Athena said, "And you sound like a singer from one of those rock bands."

"That may be true but how would you like it if you couldn't have orange juice after a workout?" countered Apollo.

"I would hate that! It's like taking away Widget," Athena whined.

"And that's how I feel when I can't do my Chords of Steel!" replied an annoyed Apollo.

"But you don't need your Chords of Steel in the morning on the weekend," Athena said, lunging for Apollo's CD player.

"Don't touch my CD Player!" Apollo yelled using his Chords of Steel, causing Athena to cringe.

In this moment of hesitation, Apollo grabbed the CD player on his desk and began for the door. Just then, Phoenix walked into the room confused and a bit annoyed.

"What going on here?", he asked with a coffee mug in his hand.

"I was practicing my Chords of Steel and then Athena showed up" replied Apollo.

"More like you woke up the entire city before suggesting I can't get my orange juice!" Athena responded in a fiery manner.

After a few quiet moments, Phoenix took a sip of the coffee and mulled over the situation until he came up with a brilliant idea. "Now now, let's not argue", he stated, "I have a solution to the problem".

"What is it?" exclaimed the two younger attorneys.

"I propose to the both of you a challenge to go this whole weekend without something you see as essential to your lives. For you Apollo, no Chords of Steel or yelling for the rest of the weekend" stated Phoenix.

"No way! I NEED to practice Mr. Wright! The weekend is when I get my power training in!", exclaimed Apollo.

"And for Athena no orange juice for the weekend" Phoenix continued unmoved by Apollo's antics.

"Mr. Wright you can't possibly do this!", responded an astonished Athena.

"As I stated earlier this is a challenge. In challenges does the winner not get a reward?", Phoenix remarked. Now he had the interest of both younger attorneys. "The winner gets to make the loser do whatever they want for a day", Phoenix proclaimed with a large smile across his face.

"First one who breaks and performs the forbidden action loses. I am the judge of this challenge and Trucy will assist me with this", stated Phoenix. Trucy walked in the room, dressed in her magician's outfit. The smile on her face was telling Athena that the young girl would very much enjoy this contest and how it played out.

"The challenge begins now!" Trucy exclaimed, eagerly looking forward to the outcome.

"Man this will be a piece of cake!" stated Apollo with an aura of confidence about him.

"That's what you think, but for me it will be a walk in the park!" cheered the equally confident Athena.

The four people at The Wright Anything Agency sat down together to have breakfast and after getting a slice of toast, Apollo reached for the orange juice and started to pour a glass for everyone at the table. Realizing what he was up to, Athena grabbed the jug of juice and put it back in the fridge before he could pour it her glass. "If he's going to go on the offensive then I will too!", Athena thought to herself. She smirked quickly and then grabbed at the two horns of hair on Apollo's head and pulled them with all of her strength. Apollo normally would have yelled at Athena in this situation, but he remembered Phoenix's challenge and instead cleverly replied "Nice try". Athena released her grip, realizing her tactic was not working, and left the room to create a new idea. In her mind, there was no way she was going to lose this challenge.

Apollo finished breakfast and without his Chords of Steel to work on, he felt clueless on what to do next. While thinking about where to go, Trucy took the opportunity to start a conversation.

"Hey Polly, are you trying to think about what to do?" she asked innocently.

"No. I'm all good", he bluntly responded.

"You look awfully perplexed to me", Trucy remarked.

"You don't say", Apollo said in a sarcastic manner.

The girl took no notice and replied, "I have an idea. What if you and I go to People Park? It's not that far and we can have fun together!"

"That's actually an excellent idea", replied Apollo and the duo set off to the park that was close to the agency.

Athena was finding her side of the challenge easy to uphold but there was always that need for a drink. She had to consciously remind herself not to work out so as to avoid the orange juice. She needed ways to get Apollo to fold but how would she find them. Destroying his CD player? Viable but Mr. Wright would make her replace it. Telling him Klavier Gavin was more awesome than him? A really good idea but Apollo would probably respond by ignoring it and waiting to take vengeance. She lay on her bed hopelessly thinking and it was in this moment that she came up with a solution. "I got it!" she exclaimed to nobody in particular. All she needed to do was remove his bracelet from him and hide it! That would send him into a flying rage for sure! "It's so evil that it's perfect!" chirped Widget. Now all she had to do was find Apollo.

Apollo and Trucy were walking through People Park and enjoying themselves. They already had several fun experiences that included climbing trees, playing with a Frisbee that Trucy conjured from her magic panties and currently they were throwing water balloons at each other. Apollo had no idea where Trucy got the water balloons from and the fact they were already filled presented an even greater mystery. Apollo managed to hit Trucy several times but the young magician didn't have the best aim and kept missing.

The challenge Phoenix had proposed was still in his mind and he had to get Athena to lose. He just didn't know how. A water balloon whizzed by his head and exploded when it hit a tree behind him. Suddenly, he thought of a great idea that he hoped would work. If he got hit by a balloon and feigned unconsciousness then Trucy would go back to the Agency and tell Phoenix. Athena's sensitive hearing would cause her to pick up the whole conversation causing her to rush to him. Then she would be so tired, that she simply could not resist the temptation of orange juice.

"Hey Trucy! I'm going stand still now so it's easier for you. You should be able to hit me with that wonderful aim of yours" Apollo jested.

"Come on Polly that's not very nice!" Trucy complained with a bit of anger. She pelted a water balloon and hit him square on his large forehead. She was horrified when Apollo staggered a bit after the impact and then fell to the floor, seemingly unconscious. She rushed over to his body and shook him a bit.

"Polly". No response. "Polly". Again no response. "Polly come on, wake up!" Apollo did not stir and laid motionless. Trucy began to grow nervous and after shaking him a few more times, she bolted straight back to the Wright Anything Agency to get help from either her father or Athena. After running for about one minute, Trucy flung open the door and screamed "Daddy! Athena! Polly's unconscious!". Phoenix heard the news and quickly rose from his desk. Athena did likewise, concerned about the well-being of her partner. By the time they got to the door, Trucy was beginning to cry.

"I hit him with a *sob* water balloon *sob* and he fell *sob* and he won't *sob* wake up" she cried.

Phoenix rushed over to his daughter and gave her a hug in order to quell the tears that were spouting from her eyes. Athena empathized with Trucy, but realized this would be her chance to get at his bracelet. When Trucy stopped crying, the trio rushed out to People Park to get Apollo back to the Agency.

Apollo laid there for what seemed like an eternity. He had planned this all too perfectly. His fake unconsciousness disguised by him sleeping under the shade of a tree, he was able to relax and let all his worries evaporate. That lasted until he heard three distinct voices of Phoenix, Trucy and Athena. He felt Trucy shake him and then heard a peculiar conversation arise.

"How do you plan to get him back to the Agency?" Phoenix inquired to his daughter.

"Maybe we could carry him!" replied the magician.

"Leave that to me, after all it would help me work out my arms as well" replied a confident Athena.

"Are you sure? Because that would look really awkward and it would be hard to handle the task alone" Phoenix replied, dubious of Athena's suggestion.

"Yeah I am sure. Over the past year Apollo and I have bonded so much that I wouldn't hesitate to be kind to him. And plus it's not like he'll wake up in my arms" added Athena.

"That would be really awkward if he did. You and Polly would look weird but hey I can see some chemistry!" Trucy giggled.

"You can't seriously think, t-that Apollo and I would" stammered Athena before she was cut off by Phoenix.

"Now now Trucy. Let's not tease them" he stated calmly. After that he leaned into his daughter's ear and whispered "Yet". Both father and daughter laughed while Athena furiously responded "You guys know that my idea comes from the kindness in my heart!"

Apollo then felt a weird tugging feeling on his wrist. No it couldn't be! His bracelet was reacting to Athena's statement and at this moment in time there was only one thing he could do. He had to find the truth. He felt his senses dull and his eyesight became superhuman, all he had to do was to perceive Athena's tell and figure out if her actions were really based on kindness. Apollo kept his eyes as closed as he could and carefully searched for something that would give away her ambitions. When Athena said kindness, her right hand seemed to slightly twitch so Apollo zeroed in on the area. For the rest of the statement the tell repeated itself so Apollo told himself "Gotcha Athena!" and began to think of what could make her want to carry him.

Apollo immediately thought about the challenge and thought about what Athena would do that would make him yell. At first he thought she would drop him on the road but the wondered if she could even lift him. What else could he not part with that was essential to his life? The bracelet! Upon this realization he slipped his bracelet off his wrist and placed it in his pocket.

"Athena you should run back to the agency and set up a couch that we can lay him on" commanded Phoenix, "Trucy and I will lift him and carry him back".

Athena glanced at Apollo to make sure he had his bracelet on so she could steal it for later. She was shocked to find that somehow, his bracelet had vanished from off his wrist. Wondering what happened to it, she sprinted back to the Wright Anything Agency, the only place where she thought it could be.

After Athena left, Apollo knew it was time to make his move. As soon as Trucy touched him, he quickly stood up and explained his whole plan to Phoenix who smiled appreciatively at Apollo's cunning. Trucy was relieved that the water balloon did not cause any serious damage and the three left the park together, laughing all the while. During the walk, Apollo slipped his bracelet on just in case he needed it again.

Athena ran in to the Agency and swiftly cleared a few files off of a couch for Apollo to rest on. The combination of her running and doing some moderate lifting made her work up a sweat and the craving for orange juice beckoned more than ever. On the inside she was dying for orange juice and used the fact nobody else was at the Agency was beneficial. She snuck over to the fridge and grabbed a tiny paper cup from on top of the fridge. She quickly poured herself a glass of juice and was about to drink it when the door opened.

"Hey Athena! We're back!" yelled Trucy.

"Apollo woke up just after you left. So we don't need that couch now. Your enthusiasm is certainly appreciated though" added Phoenix.

Apollo walked into the kitchen and saw Athena milling about with a cup in her hand.

"What's in the cup?" Apollo asked.

"Water" Athena calmly lied, noticing Trucy approach the fridge with her heightened hearing. Athena dumped the contents of the cup down the sink, hoping Apollo would notice. Trucy had now reached the fridge and opened it to grab an apple. Athena became very nervous when Trucy eyed the orange juice, but the nerves were gone when Trucy picked up the red fruit and began snacking.

The rest of the night was permeated by a tense atmosphere as both Athena and Apollo stayed away from each other in order to try and get through the day without losing the challenge. Apollo became bored extremely quickly and realized that if he challenged Athena to a competition, she would naturally be inclined to participate and would try to win at all costs. Apollo ran over to Trucy's room to ask for a certain item to set his plan in motion.

Athena decide to spend time writing in her diary to chronicle some of the crazy events that had happened and upon finishing her entry, she went to her bedside to put the diary away in her nightside table. As soon as she looked up, she saw Apollo on the sidewalk with 3 gallons of orange juice and a black bag. Wondering what he was up to, she tracked him walking down the sidewalk and turning the corner towards the agency. Believing that the juice was for temptation purposes, she rolled her eyes and thought about how idiotic Apollo could really be.

Apollo walked into the Wright Anything Agency with his orange juice and black bag in tow and headed straight for the kitchen. He dumped out the contents of his black bag, which contained water balloons, bananas and paper cups. He knew Athena was upstairs so he took the time to fill the balloons with orange juice. Then he took the bananas, peeled them and stored the edible portion inside the freezer. All he had to do was wait.

Apollo made sure to finish his dinner early so he could set up his trap just right. He quickly went to the stairs and placed the banana peels at the top and waited on the office couch. To make it look he was doing something, he picked a random issue of National Geographic and began to read. He saw Phoenix and Trucy head to Phoenix's office on the lower level so all he had to do was wait for Athena to go up the stairs.

After dinner, Athena was in a pleasant mood and began to walk up the stairs to take a shower. When she reached the top of the stairs, a pleasant surprise was waiting for her. She slipped on the banana peel and yelped as she fell down the stairs. Apollo sprang into action and dumped a cup of orange juice on Athena after firing at her with several orange juice balloons. Several of these balloons and the cup found their mark and some of the juice went into her mouth, allowing the young attorney to savor the taste of the forgotten beverage only to realize a second later that she lost the challenge. Her competitiveness kicked in and in the moment even a draw was better than a loss. She saw Apollo planting the cup beside her, and realized he was staging the entire scene. Without any other option, she pulled Apollo down by the arm.

"AAAAAAAAAAGH" Apollo screamed as he fell to the floor.

His face was only a few inches in front of Athena's and for a moment their eyes connected, his brown eyes gazing into the ocean of her blue eyes. He swore he could have seen a smile come across Athena's face but was soon snapped back to reality by Trucy's giggling.

"Daddy you were right. It is like a match made in heaven" Trucy said while Phoenix smiled knowingly and laughed along with his daughter.

Both young attorneys rose with their faces a deep red in color and Phoenix stated "Well since both of you lost the challenge-"

"OBJECTION" yelled Athena, "I never drank any orange juice!"

"OBJECTION" yelled Phoenix, "I have evidence in the form of video footage that you did!"

Athena piped down knowing that it was probably true and that Trucy set up a video camera. Apollo couldn't even object because he knew his scream was audible and that any denial would be useless.

"Anyway, since both of you lost, it looks like you guys are both going to have to do what I say!" Phoenix stated gleefully. Both of the younger attorneys groaned as their boss listed the number of chores they would do around the agency tomorrow. Trucy stood by her father's side and filed away in the back of her mind the scene that had just unfolded in front of her. Blackmailing both of them now would be just like a walk in the park.

So how did you guys like it? Reviewing and Comments are always appreciated but I appreciate nothing more than people actually reading. Thank you so much! Do you have any ideas for future chapters? What shenanigans do you see the Phoenix Wright characters doing next? Review or PM if you want to suggest topics for future chapters. Once again, thank you for reading and always remember to have an excellent day!

Brandon


	2. Fun and Games

Hey guys. Brandon here and I want to thank all those who read the first chapter and a huge thank you to those who reviewed. I feel like I can keep this story going for a long time so that will be my goal. Also, if you have ideas for future chapters, include them in a review or PM them to me. I will listen and my imagination is limitless so I can make most ideas happen. Anyway, it's time for the next chapter so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters, places, etc. are property of Capcom.

Thanks to KeybladeTopHatMaster and PhantomEdge for the ideas!

Chapter 2: Fun and Games

Apollo Justice was sleeping soundly in his bed until he was woken up by arguably the scariest thing in his life. An object whizzed by his head, causing him to wake and scream.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WHO ARE YOU? PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!" was all that he was able to yell before another object whizzed by his head. Apollo rolled off of his bed and cowered, fearing for his life.

"Justice-dono, you have proved yourself a great adversary but it ends here. Time to cut you down for I shall never be defeated again!" proclaimed a mysterious voice.

"BLACKQUILL HOW THE HECK DID YOU GET IN MY ROOM?" yelled Apollo, his Chords of Steel kicking in to the maximum.

"Simple. The door was open. You really must work on sharpening you mind Justice-dono," replied Blackquill's voice.

Apollo then began to realize that something was a little off. His yell had surely been loud enough to wake everyone else up so why didn't they come to his aid. Blackquill wouldn't dare kill Phoenix or Athena so the notion that everyone else was dead went out the window. He then realized that only one person could carry out this trick. Trucy had given him the scare of his life to date, but there was no way that she could impersonate Blackquill's voice so well.

Apollo began to slowly rise from behind the bed, but yet another object narrowly missed his head.

"Trucy, cut the shenanigans!" he yelled and then a burst of giggles came forth from said magician.

"Polly, that was hilarious," said Trucy between fits of laughter.

"Trucy that was not funny at all. By the way, how did you even sound like Blackquill?" replied Apollo with a scowl on his face.

Trucy needed no words to answer and whipped out Mr. Hat from who knows where.

"Justice-dono, I have been working on my voice impersonations in order to help with the magic acts" creaked the magical assistant in a voice that eerily resembled Blackquill's. Mr. Hat then quickly disappeared back to where he came from and Trucy threw another object at the wall. Apollo turned around and quickly realized that the four objects embedded in his wall were knives.

"Plus Polly, haven't you seen me throwing knife trick?" Trucy innocently asked.

"Well, your dad doesn't let you throw knives without his guidance, right?" probed Apollo.

"I practice without him all the time and plus, I've never missed my mark," Trucy responded and walked out of the room.

Later on, Phoenix, Apollo, Trucy, and Athena were all sitting at the table having breakfast when the doorbell rang. Since he was reviewing evidence for an upcoming case and eating a slice of toast, Apollo was too busy to notice the noise. However, Athena's sensitive hearing soon caused her to alert everyone that someone was at the door. Trucy got up and opened the door and a cheerful "Mr. Nick" was the first thing that came out of the visitor's mouth.

Pearl Fey had come to visit the Wright Anything Agency and specifically to deliver a letter by a certain spirit medium to Phoenix.

"Mr. Nick, I have a special delivery," said Pearl. "It's from Mystic Maya and she really misses you!"

Phoenix perused the letter written by Maya that informed him about happenings back at Kurain and how much fun she had as his assistant during the dawn of his career. While he was reading, Trucy and Pearl took the chance to start a conversation. Pearl reminded Trucy of Phoenix's "relationship" with Maya and how he was supposedly head over heels for her. Apollo and Athena couldn't resist eavesdropping and as a result, they decided to see if they could press their boss for more information.

"Hey Mr. Nick you should write back to Mystic Maya. You know that it's rude not to respond to your special someone!" Pearl stated.

This gave Apollo all the leeway he needed to launch a probe at Phoenix to find out the truth.

"So Maya is your special someone eh?" Apollo asked.

"No way, you've got it all wrong," Phoenix stated awkwardly while sheepishly scratching the back of his head, "It's a long story that's been woven into a tall tale by Pearl".

"Oh really, because Pearl seems to be telling the truth and you seem to have something to hide" countered Apollo.

"Yeah boss, you seem to be harboring some sadness when you talk about her leaving," Athena chimed in, sensing that this was getting awkward for the spiky-haired attorney.

"Look here you two, I have no feelings for Maya, in fact I never really had any feelings for any woman ever" Phoenix replied defensively, knowing he was lying through his teeth.

Apollo felt his bracelet react and now was the perfect time to use it. Everything around him and his senses dulled into a blur while his eyesight heightened to superhuman levels. He could pick up on the smallest motion, identify the faintest movement, and would use those pieces of information to perceive the truth! Identifying Mr. Wright's tell was one of the hardest things he had ever done but after careful observation, Apollo recognized that his right eye twitched ever so slightly when he talked about how he had no special person in his life.

"Mr. Wright, you eye twitches whenever you mention that you have never had a person you loved. You're lying about this fact" Apollo proclaimed, enjoying the experience of seeing his mentor in an awkward corner like this.

"Does this mean I'll have a mom soon?" inquired Trucy.

"No Trucy. I don't know if that will happen" replied Phoenix with an aura of sadness.

"Boss, you seemed angry when you made that statement. Care to explain more?" probed Athena, immersing herself in the moment where she might finally get some dirt on her boss.

All this time, Athena had silently brought out Widget and input everything Phoenix said into the Mood Matrix. At this point Apollo and Athena together formed a formidable team in pursuit of the truth and plus they really wanted to know about their boss's life outside of work. Trucy and Pearl did their share by instigating the conversation and they added to the pressure on Phoenix.

"Mystic Maya is his special person! Isn't she Mr. Nick?" queried Pearl, winding up her fist should Phoenix say something that she didn't like.

"Come on Daddy! It's okay to let it all out every once in a while," Trucy encouraged.

Phoenix sighed and in a weary manner answered "I once had a special someone and that all changed when she was tried and convicted of murder. I thought she was perfect, but the innocence of my youth shielded me from the truth."

"That was Iris, but then she was possessed by some crazy woman named Dahlia, right?" Apollo questioned.

"It's a longer story than this one, but it was something along those lines. I was blind and my defense attorney and mentor Mia Fey gave me a second chance, and inspired me to practice law. May her soul be blessed wherever she is," Phoenix stated.

"Do you want me to channel her?" interrupted Pearl.

"No thanks," replied Phoenix before he continued his statement. "Her sister Maya was a pleasure to be around and I had to defend her twice. We had so much fun together and the beginning of my career would have never been the same without her. Granted, I would have had an extra thousand dollars if I didn't spend them all on burgers."

Trucy laughed extremely hard at this point and couldn't stop for quite some time. Her infectious laughter spread to everyone in the room and even Phoenix began to join in. After several minutes, everyone calmed down and let Phoenix finish. "However, I never harbored any romantic feelings for her and that fact remains to this day."

No bracelet reaction and no unexpected emotions registered on the mood matrix. The only thing present was silence. That lasted until a furious Pearl slapped him five times before sitting down again on the verge of tears.

Phoenix continued on "I believe that you and Athena are so lucky, Apollo. You are both fledgling lawyers and you have each other to lean on and as a result of your experiences, you really have seemed to bond well together. Just as some advice, Apollo take care of her and treat her with all the respect in the world. Athena, do the same and your relationship will endure for quite some time. After all, you are both really compatible to each other."

Phoenix smirked and as the whole room took in his every word, they just realized how Phoenix had pulled off a complete turnabout. His legendary skills functioned even outside the courtroom and suddenly, Athena and Apollo were the recipients of pressure from Trucy, Pearl and Phoenix.

"W-w-whoa there Mr. Wright, we were never in a relationship! There's no romance!" said a flustered Apollo.

.

"OBJECTION!" replied Phoenix. "Don't forget your little charade from last weekend Apollo, there's no way you would have stayed on the ground for that long!"

"I was checking to see if my arm was broken! Athena hauled me down when I wasn't expecting it!" shot back Apollo.

"I only took him to the ground because I didn't want to lose the challenge!" added Athena.

Out of the corner of his eye, Phoenix saw his magatama glow and 5 red Psyche-Locks appeared around both Athena and Apollo. For the sake of both younger attorneys, he decided not to press the issue any further. With a smirk on his face, he got up and chuckled a bit before taking a bite out of a bagel.

"Anyways, Trucy and I were planning to go somewhere today and now that you're here, I guess you can come too Pearl" Phoenix remarked, while finishing his bagel.

"I'm so excited Daddy! Let's go already!" Trucy exclaimed.

This got Apollo and Athena thinking but they could figure out what was happening in front of them. Apollo could not contain his curiosity any longer and asked "Where exactly are you guys going?"

"Gatewater Land," answered Phoenix. "Trucy, Pearl and I are going to have some fun together and you will not go."

"Wait, THAT'S NOT FAIR!" shouted Athena. "We should be able to go too, because everyone at this agency deserves a fun day every once in a while."

"True, but have you forgotten about how I have not used my day as supreme overlord yet?" Phoenix calmly responded, formulating a plot that would permanently divert attention away from the rumors of his relationships and personal life.

The spirits of the younger attorneys were dampened and they both began to sulk and moan about how they didn't get to go.

"However, I'll let you two come with us," added Phoenix.

"Really?" Apollo retorted, doubtful of his mentor's swift change of heart.

"WOOHOO" yelled an overjoyed Athena, who clearly couldn't wait to leave.

"For a price" finished Phoenix. "I make today the day where you two do whatever I want and the first thing is to shut up about these rumors about me and Maya because they are nothing more than rumors."

"But if you spent three years with her, then you had to have some feelings for her, right?" probed Apollo, trying to take back the momentum of the argument.

"Only feelings of friendship and nothing more," replied Phoenix. Apollo's bracelet did not react to any word he said. Phoenix must have been telling the truth and by doing so proved his case entirely.

"Anyways, you can come with us but you have to pay a price when I choose so. No exceptions or the next case you are supposed to lead, you will be assistant to me," specified Phoenix with an authoritative tone.

"Fine. I never been to this amusement park so there can't be anything that bad that you'd make us do," responded Apollo with an aura of confidence.

"Yeah, I'm not afraid of anything Boss. I can pay whatever price you impose!" replied Athena.

"Very well then," remarked Phoenix, hiding his glee at the decisions made by his two understudies. For his plan involved them to undergo one of the most trying tasks yet. And when this task occurred, Phoenix would truly see if his predictions were correct.

Thirty minutes later, the group of 5 had arrived at Gatewater Land. Phoenix picked up a map of the park and realized that besides the Haunted House and Wild Wild West section, the park had expanded to include and all new water park Typhoon Falls. A new section of roller coasters was also on the map and they seemed to be the kind of thrill ride that anyone would not want to miss out on.

"We should totally start with the Wild Wild West. I've heard great things about the Paintball Bandit Chase!" said Apollo excitedly.

"The Haunted House looks so awesome. I think we should start there," Trucy mentioned.

"The roller coasters are definitely the best thing about any amusement park. We need to go there!" Athena pleaded.

"Mr. Nick we should start with the water park! The log ride looks pretty cool!" chimed in Pearl.

At this point, Phoenix's head began to spin, but he needed to keep calm for his plan to work.

"Okay team. I say we start at the…" he paused for a bit before making up his mind. "The rollercoasters first."

Athena cheered in delight as everyone made their way over to the rollercoasters. The group first decided to ride on a rollercoaster called Titan. Titan was, by all means and purposes, a majestic creation. It boasted a three hundred foot drop along with several loops and gut-wrenching turns. Phoenix kept glancing at Apollo, making sure his fear of heights didn't seem to affect him at all.

"Hey Apollo, how are you holding up?" queried the blue suited attorney, who had gotten over the same fear himself. Falling off a 40 foot cliff and into a river never seemed to bring this fear back at all.

"I'm doing fine Mr. Wright. Look, I know you are concerned about my fear of heights but I'm glad to say I've gotten over it!" Apollo exclaimed.

"Awesome! Ready to conquer the Titan?" Phoenix asked excitedly, as they approached the front of the line.

"You bet, and for the rollercoaster camera we should sit together so we can do our objection poses!" Apollo excitedly stated.

"That sounds like a great idea!" interrupted Athena, who had been listening in on the conversation. "But the only problem is that there's three attorneys and two people per row. Plus, Pearl can't get on yet…"

"Ok Athena, I'll go with you," Apollo proclaimed following up his quick decision with, "I hope you don't mind Mr. Wright."

"It's fine," Phoenix nonchalantly replied, adding the events that transpired to his evidence that the two younger attorneys were in a relationship.

The car got to the boarding station and the four riders boarded the car with Pearl yelling at them to have fun. Phoenix noted that Apollo held Athena's hand as they entered the car in a rather gentlemanly war. The ride operator came around and fastened the safety restraints and judging by the look in his daughter's eyes, she had seen the same thing. Five seconds later, the coaster lurched forward and began to climb a steep hill. Trucy cheered while Phoenix smiled, ready for the thrills to begin. Apollo did a small fist pump, ready to get the show on the road. The coaster reached the top of the hill, and dropped 300 feet at an extremely fast speed. The breakneck pace continued through sharped curves and Athena screamed in delight as the coaster did a loop-de-loop and then ran up a hill to go over another 150 foot drop. All the attorneys were elated as the coaster regained speed to go through several more twists and turns before it finally pulled back into the boarding station.

"That was AWESOME!" exclaimed a cheerful Athena.

"Can we do that again Daddy?" Trucy squealed in delight.

"That rocked! I can't wait to sample other coasters here!" bellowed Apollo.

"I can't wait either! Let's go!" cried an elated Phoenix.

The party of five rushed around the park's roller coaster section and rode all the electrifying roller coasters there were to ride. The thrills they had were never to be forgotten and all five at the amusement park were immensely satisfied. However the decision on where to go next was even more difficult. After much debate, all 5 reached a consensus of going to the Haunted House. They travelled across the park and reached the entrance of the Haunted House. Athena was determined not to be scared but Phoenix had already struck up a conversation about how Gatewater Land's haunted house made it feel like Halloween.

Phoenix, Trucy and Pearl entered first, followed by Apollo and Athena. They found themselves in the middle of a dark room. They only way forward was to find a door but that was hard to do without light. Eerie voices began to fill the lonely chamber and Pearl clung onto Trucy.

"Come on Pearly, it's not that bad!" cheered Trucy trying to cheer up the little medium.

"They sound l-l-like ghosts!" whispered a frightened Pearl.

Suddenly, an object whizzed overhead causing the five to duck down. Then all was silent until the air was pierced by a shrill scream. Trucy cried out in surprise as the floor gave way beneath her and fell down to the basement of the haunted house. The remaining four were startled and began to search for the door rapidly.

"Apollo it's to your right!" shouted Phoenix. Apollo saw the door and the four made a break for it. As soon as they started moving, more objects flew past and one almost hit Phoenix as he ran. They made it through the door just before several objects embedded themselves. Apollo could tell that they were knives and realized that Phoenix was right. This WAS the real deal. He had never been that scared since… that morning. Apollo had just about had it with knives flying at his head.

"Whoa! We're in some sort of tomb!" Athena marveled. The dark settings were enhanced by a slow dripping of water and the sounds of insects scuttling across the floor. The four heard the "Kee Kee" of the bats overhead and were starting to get freaked out.

"Come on guys. You know vampires aren't real!" Phoenix continued, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Heck, we've had knives flung at our heads. How do we know?" Athena retorted.

"The knives were real but they were so high that nobody would have ever been hit" Phoenix countered.

Their argument was interrupted by a creaking sound of a coffin opening. All eyes turned toward the sound, but the four saw nothing. Pearl turned around to survey her surroundings and screamed as she saw a person dressed as a vampire behind her. Pearl ran towards the other side of the room only to fall through a hole in the floor. The three adults followed suit and slammed the door behind them.

They found themselves in the middle of a long corridor two doors on the side. Athena tried to open both of the doors but to no avail.

"I guess were trapped here. Better start moving forward" Apollo suggested. The other two attorneys nodded their heads in agreement and they began to slowly move down the hall. Twenty seconds later, a person shot out of one of the side doors sprinting to the end of the hall. Phoenix could tell from a distance that it was Trucy and that Pearl was close behind her. "CHAINSAW!" she screamed and Apollo laughed until he heard the loud whirring of a machine.

"That can't be real!" bellowed Apollo over the approaching noise.

"If the knives were real, I don't doubt the chainsaw is either" Athena shouted frantically as the chainsaw man approached.

"It's real all right!" shouted Pearl who also reminded them that the guy was wearing the classic white hockey mask of any chainsaw serial killer.

All three attorneys made their decision quickly and bolted towards the end of the hall and coincidentally the exit of the haunted house. From the interior of the hallway, two more pursuers emerged. This caused the three attorneys to run faster from the three crazy people wielding a real chainsaw. Apollo began to pull away from the pack with Phoenix following close behind. Trucy and Pearl had already gotten to the door and flung it open. Apollo ran out into the light and bent over to catch his breath. He was followed closely by Phoenix who stopped quickly. Athena ran out at full pace and tripped in her haste. She would have faceplanted, but Apollo was unfortunate to find himself on the receiving end of a collision. Similar to how they first met, Apollo was plowed down by the younger female whose fall was nicely cushioned by Apollo's chest. First the policeman, now Athena.

"Aww. That's so cute!" remarked Pearl, fawning over the sight that unfolded in front of her.

"How gentlemanly of you Polly!" Trucy added before Phoenix began to laugh.

Apollo's face was red as an apple as he got up and dusted himself off.

"Are you seriously continuing this? It was an accident!" Apollo exclaimed.

Athena chose not to comment as the five made their way to the Wild Wild West. Apollo went from a state of embarrassment to a state of excitement as he couldn't wait to take on the Paintball Bandit Chase. When the group arrived, they saw a sign that gave the rules for the adventure. The group was excited to find out that everyone could participate but for the group challenge, they needed six people. While the group was bickering on whether to skip the event or go one at a time, Athena's sense of hearing picked up on a shrill whistle. Moments after the whistle was produced, a shrill screech of a hawk could be heard.

"Guys! I think we have our sixth person!" Athena shouted excitedly. The group turned around and saw none other than Simon Blackquill, the Twisted Samurai.

"Prosecutor Blackquill, what are you doing here?" inquired Apollo.

"Justice-dono, I aim to take on this challenge and succeed like the samurai of yore," replied the Prosecutor.

"Doesn't that mean you'll be using a sword?" Phoenix asked.

"What an excellent deduction Wright-dono. Although since there are five of you and one of me, we could see who wins first in the group challenge," offered Blackquill.

"Only a three vs. three would be a fair contest!" interjected Athena.

"Very well Cykes-dono. You will be on one team and me on the other. I want Wright-dono and Justice-dono. You can have the magician and the kimono girl", Blackquill commanded.

"Challenge accepted!" Athena confidently replied.

After being suited up into paintball armor, the six contestants listened carefully to the event director for the instructions. The rules were set that each side had 10 bandits to hunt down and hit. Each contestant, bar Blackquill was provided with a pistol. The team captains, Athena and Phoenix got two pistols. Blackquill's sword had a protective edge so no hits would be lethal or harmful. Each pistol was loaded with 10 paintballs. There were no additional ammunitions supplied and if a contestant got hit, they were out for the rest of the round.

"Ready?" shouted the director. All was silent as everyone assumed a running stance. "GO!" yelled the director and each team sprinted off into a separate direction. Phoenix, Blackquill and Apollo ran behind a saloon to use as cover, while the girls ducked into an alleyway. Apollo heard something and drew his pistol but a shot rang out before he could react. The paintball splattered on the wall 3 inches from his head and the team had to relocate.

Athena, Trucy and Pearl camped in an alleyway and relied on Athena's hearing to locate any target. A black figure darted into view, but Pearl was quick to see this. She fired the pistol and hit the bandit square in the chest. 1-0 to the girls. Athena heard another figure approaching the front of the alley and alerted Trucy. As soon as she saw the figure, Trucy pulled out Mr. Hat to draw the fire of the bandit. Her tactic worked and she registered a clean hit. The girls cheered and whooped as they ran to a new location to continue the hunt.

The men heard these cheers and knew they had to step it up. Phoenix saw a shadow coming from the roof of the house they were hiding under. "Blackquill! Above you!" he shouted and Blackquill thrusted his sword straight up to hit the bandit. Apollo realized that something was wrong and saw four more figures closing in. "It's a trap!" he exclaimed as the bandits fired. The attorneys and prosecutor dove to the ground as Phoenix fired off one shot from each pistol in his hand. Two hits out of two and suddenly the challenge became manageable. Apollo rolled back onto his feet and took down one bandit before a quick slice of Blackquill's sword took care of the last. In just 30 seconds, they had the challenge half completed.

5 minutes later, the score was 7-5 to the boys. However, each side was at a disadvantage as the bandits had struck twice, the girls losing Pearl while Apollo was taken down because he chose to protect his team captain, Phoenix. By coincidence, the four remaining players met near a watering hole that was a prop. They gave each other competitive glares and ran back the way they came from. The decision by both teams proved to be perilous as they ran straight into the bandits' trap. A flurry of gunfire saw the girls go ahead 9-7 but Trucy was hit in the exchange. Phoenix and Blackquill made it out unscathed, but were unable to hit the last bandit who ran off into the distance. It was tied at 9 all. A

Phoenix and Blackquill decided to pursue, and in the meantime Blackquill sent Taka ahead to find the bandit's location.

"Although you may be my rival Wright-dono, you certainly are better than I expected with a firearm" Blackquill said. "Maybe it's because you needed to defend yourself on the street for seven years," the prosecutor finished, laughing at his own cruel joke.

Before Phoenix could respond, Taka returned and screeched several times, indicating he had located the bandit. Phoenix and Blackquill took followed swiftly, brandishing their weapons. They found the bandit hiding in the upper floor of the saloon and decided that they only way to get him was to go inside. Phoenix fired slowly and repeatedly at the bandit who hid behind the window and shot back when he could. He kept the bandit engaged so Blackquill could sneak inside. Drawn to the noise, Athena rushed to the scene and her competitiveness would not let her lose. She ran towards the window to get a better shot and saw Blackquill poised to strike with his sword high above his head. Diving forward, the young attorney shot upward but it was too late as the shot found its target after Blackquill had delivered the finishing blow.

The six returned all the gear to the activity director who was impressed by what he claimed as the best paintball match he had ever seen. Trucy and Pearl were consoling Athena while Apollo and Phoenix gave each other a hearty high-five while Blackquill watched on.

"Hey Prosecutor Blackquill, you sure did a great job with that sword. I thought that it would be ineffective but I never knew it could work that well" praised Apollo.

"Justice-dono I have been praised many times before in the clink without showing my talents, but I'm glad you now see my full prowess with the sword. Your praise is appreciated," Blackquill stated before adding "I must leave now. Taka must return to the courthouse and get his dinner." The prosecutor turned his back on everyone and walked off to the exit of the amusement park.

"Pearl, how the heck did you know how to use a pistol?" Phoenix asked.

"Detective Gumshoe showed me how 7 years ago," the young girl perkily replied.

"Well there's only one more thing to do," remarked Phoenix, breaking the awkward silence that had just set in.

"To the water park!" shouted Pearls eagerly, racing off in the direction of the water park.

"I don't really feel like getting wet," Apollo said.

"That's fine. We're only going on the log flume. I also brought ponchos if you really need one," Phoenix offered.

"He just doesn't want his horns to get wet," Athena teased before yanking on said horns and running off after Pearl.

"OW!" complained Apollo, rubbing his head while Phoenix chuckled. Phoenix, Apollo and Trucy followed Athena and Pearl towards the water park and during the walk was when Phoenix decided to make Apollo pay the price.

"Apollo, when you get on the log flume, you will be with Athena only and you will tell the operator that you would like to take the Gunpowder Falls route. That is an order as Supreme Overlord for the day" affirmed Phoenix.

"Okay. I heard Gunpowder Falls was the most intense course so that should be fun," Apollo said, trying to think of why Phoenix was being so generous. If he had total control for the day, why was he not abusing his power to make something nasty happen to him and Athena? Apollo knew that Phoenix was a nice guy and an awesome boss to have, but he was perhaps being a little TOO nice. Apollo's suspicion remained all the way until they got to the front of the line. Phoenix reminded Apollo what to do.

"What trail sir?" the operator asked.

"Geyser Falls" was the simple reply from Phoenix. The three of them got into a log, followed by Apollo and Athena who answered Gunpowder Falls when asked the same question. The logs set out side by side and began to meander down the river.

"Hey Mr. Wright why aren't you on this route?" asked Apollo.

"Because I think we're on the better one. You'll see why later," responded Phoenix as their log approached a drop. Phoenix, Trucy and Pearl screamed in delight as their ride began. As for Apollo and Athena, their log turned into a mine shaft.

"It's really dim in here" commented Athena, noticing the small candles on the side of the tunnel.

"Yeah, I think that's why it's called gunpowder falls, because they blew up this tunnel to mine stuff" Apollo commented.

The log meandered through the tunnel and passed an auspicious looking group of stalactites when "Careless Whisper" by George Michaels began playing. The sound of the saxophone filled the chamber dripping with sorrowful resonance and only now did Apollo realize why Phoenix sent them here.

"It was a trap all along!" Apollo shouted to nobody in particular.

"What do you mean? I like the music. It's certainly a cool touch for a log ride" remarked Athena.

"This is Phoenix's order and our price, this is…" Apollo paused for a bit to think about what it is.

"What is it?" inquired Athena.

"This may be a bit outdated but that's why all the people who are seemingly couples are heading to logs on the right side. This is a tunnel of love! How did I not see this coming earlier?" exclaimed Apollo.

"Go figure Mr. Wright would try to prove that we're a couple. I never knew he could be that conniving!" Athena remarked.

The log turned a corner and into a tunnel filled with romantic symbols and images on the walls. The music grew louder, filling the chamber with the soft and smooth sounds of instruments. The water became calm, moving the log forward at a slow pace, beckoning those on it to relax enjoy and maybe embrace each other for a small bit. Athena was behind Apollo, who was admiring the images on the wall. She saw an image of the supposed love triangle of the Themis Legal Academy that was destroyed during the trial of Juniper Woods. She was proud of her actions that trial, the first she had taken the lead on and was thankful of Apollo's assistance.

The warmth of good memories filled her and she thought about the battle that had been long and hard, but victorious. Unaware of her own actions, she moved her arms around Apollo's back and pulled him into a small hug. Apollo felt it, but didn't bother to cast her arms off of him. After all, nobody could see them so why should he care. After all, like Phoenix's relationship, it was all rumors to him.

Then Murphy's Law kicked in. A flash reverberated around the tunnel and this startled both of the attorneys. They sat up only to realize that a huge drop was up ahead. They both screamed, partially in terror of the photo that was taken and partially in joy of descending the drop. After they passed the drop, Phoenix and company were waiting with the photo printed and in their hands. What was worse was the fact that they were at water guns which were loaded with money.

"HOLD IT!" bellowed Phoenix, as all three of them fired water at Apollo and Athena. The guns found their mark and as a result, the two younger attorneys were drenched with water. They reached the end of the log flume and exited the ride, heading straight for Phoenix, Trucy and Pearl. Both of the attorneys were greeted by the sight of a smiling Phoenix holding the picture straight out to them.

Apollo snatched at the photo and viewed with Athena by his side. The photo showed them in the log, with Athena hugging Apollo, her eyes closed and head resting on his shoulder. Apollo's eyes were open and he had a smile on his face as did Athena. It looked so romantic that it was gold for Phoenix. He had sent them to a tunnel of love and who knows what he was going to do with the picture. Phoenix walked over and took the picture back, with Trucy and Pearl smiling eagerly behind him.

"I don't think I was ready to pay that price Mr. Wright," remarked an embarrassed Apollo, with his face as warm and red as a ripe chili pepper.

"Don't you think that was kind of cruel on Apollo boss?" asked Athena.

"Nope. After all we did come to an amusement park to have a little fun," answered Phoenix with a twinkle of his eyes as the party of five set out to return to the Wright Anything Agency.

Once again, any reviews are appreciated and a special thank you for reading this story. I hope this installment is not too long and if it is tell me. I'll adjust. As a shoutout, come check out the story titled Pompeii by me and PatillianAdventures. Any reads and reviews are greatly appreciated there as well. Any recommendations for the next chapter? Review or PM me! They will be included. Again, thanks for reading and always make sure to have a great day!


	3. Christmas Special

Hey guys! I hope that all of you are enjoying the holidays and I personally love them. That said, Christmastime has come upon us so I find it fitting to give all of the readers out there a Christmas present from me to you. I figured the best way to do this was to write a Christmas themed chapter and hope people like it. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Phoenix Wright decided to do something that the Wright Anything Agency had never done before: hold a Christmas party. He felt that the holidays were a time where you could spend valuable time with family and friends and what could be better than a party where everyone could do so. Phoenix wasn't the best at organizing things so he enlisted his daughter Trucy helped him out.

"So, who are we inviting again?" Phoenix asked his daughter.

"Besides us, Polly, and Thena, we invited Mr. Edgeworth, Mr. Gumshoe, Mr. Butz" she began to list.

"NO NO NO NO! NOT LARRY! I DID NOT INVITE LARRY!" Phoenix shouted, not wanting to even think of how to deal with Larry's antics at a Christmas party.

Trucy scratched the name off the list before continuing, "Mr. Gavin, Mr. Blackquill, Ms. Von Karma, Maya, Pearls, Ema Skye, and the Judge"

"Awesome. And I hope the whole Secret Santa thing will go down well. I think I explained it well enough during that one group chat and the emails laid out who was giving gifts to whom," he mused aloud.

"I already got my gift for Pearly. I think she'll like it. Who did you get a gift for Daddy?" Trucy inquired.

"I got one for Klavier. Just a bunch of guitar supplies. Picks, a few extra strings and some cleaning products." Phoenix answered, before leaving his office to continue decorating for later that night. The Wrights had put a wreath on the door to the agency and had hung their stockings over the fireplace, which was also decorated with various wintry assortments. The Christmas tree in the living room was decorated vividly with ornaments, chains of beads, and lit up with lights of all colors of the rainbow that ran up the tree and culminated into a bright golden star. It seemed as if the Agency was ready and waiting for Christmas to come, and they were. Well, everyone except for a certain red-clad attorney.

Apollo was moving around and cleaning his office to try and bring some neatness to the whirlwind that he worked and practically lived in. After placing a stack of case files onto a shelf, he exhaled briefly before cleaning off his office desk. He had gotten a lot done today and to put the finishing touches on his office, he arranged his desk into a somewhat presentable form, pushing all the pencils and pens to the left side of his desk. Pleased with what he did, he sat down in his chair to relax for a bit.

Just as he began to read the newest _National Geographic _that had arrived earlier that day, Athena burst into his room and ran straight to his desk. Surprised by the disturbance, Apollo dropped the magazine and looked at her quizzically.

She then blurted out "Why don't you have a stocking over the fireplace?" in a somewhat angry somewhat curious tone.

"I never had a stocking for Christmas and I've never bought one since" he responded rather bluntly.

"Didn't your parents ever celebrate Christmas?" she continued to question.

"Athena, do you remember anything about what I told you about myself when you first got here?"

"Oh" she trailed off, remembering that Apollo grew up in an orphanage and didn't have parents when he was young.

"Since we had kids with different religious beliefs, there were no holidays. We either celebrated them on our own or not at all."

"But how did you celebrate Christmas with the Wrights last year?"

"I hung up an empty sack of potatoes and gave presents to both Phoenix and Trucy. I got some too. For example, this journal that you see me use regularly during court cases," he responded, holding up a brown journal, filled with sticky notes and scraps of paper.

However, after viewing the journal, Athena seemed distracted and swiveled her head to look around his office.

"Come on Apollo, You haven't decorated this office one bit! Looks like you're gonna need some help to get ready for the party later tonight!" she told him before racing out of the room to get decorations. That triggered a reaction from Apollo and he swore as he remembered the party was tonight. Since he had done nothing to prepare for the party, he glanced at his computer to get the information from Phoenix. From perusing the emails sent by his mentor, he became aware that the party began at 7 and that there was a Secret Santa event where members at the party were to receive presents from one another. He read further and found out that his person that he was assigned to get a gift for was Athena.

"IM DOOMED!" he bellowed before beginning to panic. He HAD to get a gift for Athena or else he would break her heart. She was expecting something from him and he needed to pick out a gift, purchase it and then wrap it all before 7 PM. He looked at his wall clock and realized that the current time 10:24 AM gave him only 9 hours to do so and that was factoring out any shenanigans that he encountered throughout the day.

Just as his panic began to set in, Athena returned to his office with a box of decorations and a smile on her face. "Let's go already mon ami!" she giggled before setting up candy canes on his curtains and placing a wreath on his window. Apollo picked up some smaller Christmas trees and placed them in front of his desk, lacing them with lights to increase the yuletide spirit in his office. A flurry of decorations later, Apollo's office looked much more spirited. It was as if winter had slipped through the walls and entered Apollo's office, its festivity dominating everything and lightening the spirits of all in the office.

"You know, I never thought that you would be such a good decorator Apollo, but it looks like you have some artistic talent" Athena complimented.

"Thanks. I'm certainly not the one who should be taking credit for this though. It was all your idea to start and you pitched in a lot to make this happen. Your artistic talent shines here" he returned the compliment.

"Aww thank you Apollo!" she replied, a blush beginning to emerge on her face. "I'm so hungry after all that decorating that I'm just going to eat lunch right now!" she continued, breaking the silence between them before bounding off to the kitchen. Apollo glanced at the clock and saw that it was close to noon and he had 7 hours left to get Athena a gift. He tried to think of something but found himself unable to devise the perfect plan. It was time to see Phoenix.

"Hey Mr. Wright, I need your help… and badly" Apollo stated as he entered the room.

"What's up Apollo? Something gift related I assume?" Phoenix asked while rummaging through his desk for a pen.

"Yeah so I kinda figured out two hours ago that we were having this Secret Santa event and I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what to get for you know…" he finished giving Phoenix two quick nudges to the shoulder so as not to reveal any of his ideas to a certain someone in the kitchen.

"Oho. I always figured I messed up on this assignment. But gift ideas you ask. Well she likes orange juice and is a pretty athletic and energetic so maybe you could get something sporty. Then again you could just go the typical pricey route and just get a dress or jewelry or something else like that" the older attorney mused out loud.

"THAT'S IT!" Apollo exclaimed. "Mr. Wright you are a lifesaver! But can I ask one more favor from you?"

"Sure. What do you need?"

"I don't know what size dress to get her and I kinda don't want to go snooping through her closet so can you have Trucy help me out with that?"

"Sure thing my boy, sure thing. I should be able to get you everything by 2 PM. Are you sure you can pull this off Apollo?"

"I don't know, but I can certainly try!" he exclaimed before he headed off to the kitchen to make himself lunch.

By the time he got there, Athena and Trucy were already eating, deep into a conversation about the party later that night.

"I hope my gift will really impress Pearly. Who's is yours for Athena?" Trucy asked.

"Mine is for someone really special to me. You'll find out later. I hope that the gift I get will make me feel special as well" Athena replied fantasizing about what she could get later that night.

"I feel like that tonight will be a night where everyone gets wonderful gifts" Trucy affirmed before continuing to eat.

"_I hope so… But I'm going to feel so stupid if I let Athena down,_" Apollo thought to himself before sliding his leftover pasta into the microwave. The two girls left the table and Phoenix called Trucy over to carry out Apollo's favor. After finishing his pasta, he returned to his office and began the process to pick the color of the dress he would buy.

Meanwhile Athena was sitting in her office, admiring the gift she had picked out for her designated person. It was a ceramic figurine of the recipient and it had this recipient in his objection pose. Hanging from his extended arm were the scales of justice that meant everything to a lawyer. Athena placed the foot long figurine into a box and secured it with bubble wrap, before taping the box shut. She got out a roll of wrapping paper along with scissors and tape and began to delicately wrap the box. When finished she placed numerous ribbons on the box and went to slide it under the Christmas tree beside Phoenix's and Trucy's gifts.

Apollo had gotten down to five colors for the dress. A fiery red, bright yellow, dark purple, emerald green and a royal blue, just like Phoenix's suit. Narrowing it down to five was the easy part, but now he had reached the barrier of which one to pick so as to make her look good and make him not look like a total idiot. Apollo crossed off the red and the blue, thinking that Athena would want to be individual. Now the wall hardened and he found himself at 2 PM trying to think of something.

Thankfully, Trucy decided to walk in at this time to give Apollo all the dress sizing information.

"Here you go Polly! Daddy said you'd need this so I got it for you! You know if you need any help picking out a dress I can offer a bit of advice" Trucy stated in a singsong manner.

"Good because advice is what I need. Right now I'm stuck between an emerald green, dark purple, and an electric yellow. Help me please!", he implored to the magician.

Trucy bounded over to the computer and looked at the three dresses that Apollo pulled up onto the screen. "I think she wouldn't want the electric yellow because she wears that all the time. I don't really like that purple color all that much either Polly. I think it's just a bit too dark and Athena normally isn't a dark person. She's bright and vibrant just like that green you've got there. Go with that one."

"Thanks so much Trucy. However can I repay you and your father?" Apollo asked.

"Buy us dinner for the next two weeks" she responded, laughing at her demand. She was even more shocked when Apollo said "You got it" and rushed out the door with wallet in hand.

Apollo ran to the nearest clothing store, which happened to be a Macy's. He ducked inside and headed straight for the women's clothing. When he entered the department, he got a few suspicious looks but told himself to get over it as this was for Athena. He found the experience to be rather embarrassing at times when people passed by him and gave incredulous looks. Several minutes were spent searching through several racks of dresses for the one he had found, but when he found it the feelings of relief and pride washed all the awkwardness away.

Each step he took to the cash register was filled with confidence and with the emerald green in hand he felt as if it was mission accomplished. However, the clock that read 4 PM when he returned home disagreed. Apollo bolted to his room to wrap the gift, but before he could get there Phoenix called him over to help with the cooking.

"Hey Apollo, could you help me out with the mashed potatoes?" Phoenix inquired.

"Sure thing. Is there anything else you need?" the younger attorney replied before walking over to the kitchen to peel the potatoes.

"Yeah I also need some help setting the table and prepping the living room for the rest of our guests. Trucy and Athena are working on the decorations right now and we have a bit of work to do if we're going to make this party epic"

"Got it. I'll make sure to help out there as well. But first things first, I'll take care of these mashed potatoes".

And so another sequence of work for the party began, with all four members of the Wright Anything Agency working hard to prepare the office for a part. Athena and Apollo worked together to put the finishing touch on the decorations while Phoenix and Trucy worked in the kitchen to finish the Christmas dinner for the party. Laughs were shared between the four as they embraced the holiday spirit, but the best laugh of all was when Phoenix and Trucy saw the sight of the night when Athena fell off the stepladder she was using to place decorations high on the wall. And when she fell she landed straight in Apollo's arms.

Apollo stood there, holding her as if it was completely normal and when she looked up at him a heavy blush appeared on her face. Likewise, Apollo also blushed hard but liked what was unfolding right then and there. He was caught up in the moment, enjoying her company in his arms. Truth be told, he didn't feel like letting her go and he wanted to keep her warmth beside him.

In that moment, something clicked inside of Athena. She appreciated the fact that he was there for her, always watching over her to protect her from harm. This was one of the many qualities she liked about him and in her heart everything came together at once. It wasn't just admiration. It was love. The butterflies in her stomach flittered even faster as she acknowledged it. She hadn't felt this in her life before and hoped and prayed that her growing crush would be returned by Apollo.

(A/N: Yes this story will eventually feature Justicykes for I am a fan of this pairing. In my opinion, they would be so cute together and would make an epic team. You guys can review to let me know of what you think about pairings in the story and how much romance I should insert. Right now, this series will still focus much more on content than romance).

In the meantime, they said nothing to each other. Apollo set Athena down and continued decorating. Phoenix continued to observe the pair and made a mental note that neither of them were embarrassed. He called Trucy over and gave her a very specific set of instructions.

"Trucy can you do something for me?"

"Sure Daddy! What do you need?"

"Can you take this piece of mistletoe and hang it in Apollo's office? I need you to hang it above his desk so that when he tries to get out of the party tonight I can pull off a very devious prank."

Trucy's eyes lit up upon the word "prank" and she had a large smile beaming across her face. She nodded slyly to Phoenix and took off to Apollo's room. Using his chair as a platform, she leapt up to the ceiling and jabbed in a paper clip on his desk, making sure to curl one end. She then made sure to take care when placing the two leaves on the paper clip before skipping out of the room and back into the kitchen.

By the time preparations for the party were completed, it was 6:30 and Apollo still hadn't wrapped his gift. He went to his room and found a box for the dress, precisely placing it inside. He then grabbed a roll of wrapping paper and got to work to wrap the box. Soon, all of the guests started to show up one at a time. First was Detective Gumshoe, who brought Maggey Byrde with him. He greeted Phoenix with his typical "Hey pal!" before they caught up with each other over years past.

Guests began to enter in drove with Maya and Pearls showing up next. Phoenix greeted Maya with a hug and Pearl fawned over the "relationship" that she had always dreamed of. By the time Apollo had finished wrapping his present, Blackquill and Edgeworth had arrived as well. As usual, Klavier's bold style was evident when he greeted the crowd with an "Achtung!" as he walked through the door. The Judge came shortly after, quieting the din with a shout of "Order in the Court!" Everyone laughed uproariously at his witty outburst, signaling the fun times to come.

Ema Skye made her entrance at 6:45 PM and the crack of a whip could be heard later when the last guest, Franziska von Karma made her entrance. When everyone got together in the living room, the Wrights started everything off with a group carol. Songs sung included "Jingle Bells", "Sleigh Ride", "Holly Jolly Christmas" and "White Christmas". By the time the group was finished it was determined that Trucy was a very good singer and that group as a whole sounded better than your average church choir. Everyone was happy and even Blackquill could not resist cracking a big smile as everyone sang.

The dinner also was an enjoyable event for all, although the males liked it more. Gumshoe ate a lot of the ham while Edgeworth made special care so as to not ruin his glorious cravat with food stains. Phoenix made sure to make Maya hamburgers and she responded with a yell of "Thank you Nick!" before chowing down. Pearl gave Phoenix a thumbs-up in approval and the latter simply shook his head. At the other side of the dinner table, Ema had gotten into an argument with Apollo as to whether science should be used more often in the courtroom. Franziska joined in on Apollo's side and Blackquill sided with Ema just to play Devil's advocate.

After this squabble finished, the marquee event of the party came. It was time for the Secret Santa event. Everyone made their way to the Christmas tree and Gumshoe was the first to receive his gift. He tore the small rectangular wrapped present open with great gusto and realized that it was a paycheck. But this was no ordinary paycheck, since it had triple Gumshoe's usual wages. Attached was a letter that said that the rest of his paychecks would be this much and that he would never experience a pay cut ever again.

"WOW! Triple the Pay! And no paycuts either! Thanks a bunch Mr. Edgeworth!" he stated with a gleeful joy and a big grin across his face.

"How on Earth did you know that I gave that gift to you?" asked a genuinely shocked Edgeworth.

"Well you are the only person that can control my pay" he responded.

"Oh. I've gotta be less obvious about that," Edgeworth stated to himself under his breath.

Next up was Ema who tore open her gift which was revealed to be a new laptop courtesy of Klavier. It took Ema a matter of seconds to figure this out based on Klavier's closed eyes and nervous smile on his face. The face muscles were tensed in such a way that caused a nervous expression, scientifically speaking. Klavier then opened his gift, the guitar supplies but struggled to find a person who was actually into guitar that would give him the gift. At first, he guessed Apollo but that guess was wrong. However, his second guess was correct as he chose Phoenix.

"Herr Wright, I never knew you were so into guitars, ja? Thank you"

"It's nothing. I actually do like guitars though and I wished I learned to play one when I was a young boy".

By the time the conversation had just begun, both Pearl and Maya had opened their gifts. Pearl immediately picked out Trucy as the giver of her Christmas ornament that resembled mistletoe and Maya somehow identified that Ema gave her several posters of both the Steel Samurai and the Pink Princess.

"Ok Maya, how did you figure out that it was me who gave you those?" Ema questioned.

"Easy. There's Snackoo crumbs in the bottom of one of these wrappers," the Spirit medium answered confidently.

Everyone stared at Ema before she just responded with a "What? I like my Snackoos!"

Blackquill then opened his gift which consisted of two kabuki masks and a falconer's glove. Since he was clueless, he used his powers of suggestion in order to figure out who gave him the gift.

"Wow. This glove is so exquisite. I'm sure Taka will love it along with the fact I can have him on my arm now," the mysterious Prosecutor commented to nobody in particular.

"I know! Now he doesn't have to rest on my head in the courtroom anymore!" the Judge exclaimed.

"Why Thank You Your Baldness" Blackquill finished.

This time everyone turned and stared at the Judge for falling into Blackquill's trap for the umpteenth time. Trucy darted to the tree to get her gift and ripped the wrapping off in anticipation. It was a photogtaph of her on stage, right after she finished one of her shows. She was in her stage outfit and held a rose in one hand and a dove in the other. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold. She then figured out that it was Maya who gave the gift because she had a habit of looking away whenever Trucy talked about it.

The Judge went to open his new gift and when he saw the hammerlike shape of the wrapped object he knew what it was. He tore open the wrapping to reveal a shiny new mahogany gavel, polished with such a luster that only his bald head could rival. He had trouble finding out who his gift was from and after he guessed Apollo and Blackquill, the third time was the charm. His gift was given by Gumshoe.

Edgeworth was next on the list, and he went to his gift. He tore open the wrapping and found a brand new chess set and a note that complimented him to the maximum. It was signed "Wendy Oldbag". Upon reading this, Edgewroth went into a panic attack and began to search the Wright Anything Agency for said old lady. When he returned to the living room, he began his clueless attempts to find out who gave him this gift. He first targeted Blackquill and when Blackquill laughed at him he switched his accusation to Apollo who joined Blackquill in laughing. Edgeworth decided that now was the time to question everyone in the room and he never would have found out the gift giver had Pearl not started to randomly giggle.

With three gifts to go, Phoenix went to receive his. It was a figurine of two swordsmen, one blue and one black. Their blades were drawn and they were depicted in the heat of battle. Phoenix immeaditely knew this was from Blackquill but didn't reveal the information yet as Athena had grabbed her gift as well. At this time Apollo let out a vicious cough and excused himself to his office to look for cough drops. Athena tore open her gift and saw the emerald green dress. She stared at it and admired its beauty. The $100 price tag on it made her eyes water with tears of appreciation and joy at receiving such a wonderful present. She began to look around the room for the gracious gifter and when she saw everyone with two finger-horns above their heads, she knew there was only one person who could have done such a thing.

At this time, Phoenix thanked Blackquill for his gift and both men mutually expressed their wishes to do battle in court.

"Simon, I must say I always enjoy crossing blades with you in court" Phoenix remarked, staring at his gift.

"Yes, Wright-dono it is truly a marvelous sight, for our blades are quick to draw and sharp with wit. The two warriors of the courtroom fight with honor and each strike is the blade of truth silencing the ignorance around us" Blackquill commented.

"It truly is a wonderful gift and I will keep it with me" Phoenix began, only trailing off when he saw Athena go to thank Apollo. He made a motion with his hand to follow him. The party rose and silently crept down the hallway towards Apollo's office.

At the office Apollo was sitting in his office chair, doing casework for an upcoming trial. He saw Athena come in and his first thought was "_Oh Great_".

"Apollo, I love your gift. It was really well thought out and I really appreciate it" she whispered softly, moving to a position beside him.

"Really? I thought it wouldn't be that good. But hey, whatever floats your boat I guess" he replied sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

"It turned my boat into a cruise ship. Now here, have your gift" she said, sliding the wrapped figurine across the table.

Apollo opened it and saw himself in his Objection pose, with the scales of Justice laid across his arm. He admired the craftsmanship that went into that figurine and was marveled by the detail. He knew Athena was a good artist, but this was just stunning.

"Th-Thank you so much. It's beautiful" he responded, lost for words. "_Just like you are" _was the unspoken thought that followed.

"Is that mistletoe I see?" Phoenix interrupted the unfolding scene, pointing his finger towards the plant above them.

"Yes, why yes it is" Edgeworth remarked with a smug grin on his face.

Apollo looked up and saw the whole party there staring at them and the ceiling.

"Well I guess there's no getting out of this now. I love you." he stated before planting a kiss on Athena's lips.

"I love you too" she replied.

It would be one that they would never forget.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!


End file.
